Glow discharge and plasma systems are becoming every more present with the emphasis on renewable fuels, pollution prevention, clean water and more efficient processing methods. Glow discharge is also referred to as electro-plasma, plasma electrolysis and high temperature electrolysis. In liquid glow discharge systems a plasma sheath is formed around the cathode located within an electrolysis cell.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,228,266 issued to Shim, Soon Yong (Seoul, KR) titled, “Water treatment apparatus using plasma reactor and method thereof” discloses a water treatment apparatus using a plasma reactor and a method of water treatment The apparatus includes a housing having a polluted water inlet and a polluted water outlet; a plurality of beads filled into the interior of the housing; a pair of electrodes, one of the electrodes contacting with the bottom of the housing, another of the electrodes contacting an upper portion of the uppermost beads; and a pulse generator connected with the electrodes by a power cable for generating pulses.
The major drawback of Shim's '266 patent is the use of a pulse generator and utilizing extremely high voltages. For example, Shim discloses in the Field of the Invention the use of extremely dangerous high voltages ranging from 30 KW to 150 KV. Likewise, he further discloses “In more detail, a voltage of 20-150 KV is applied to the water film having the above-described thickness, forming a relatively high electric magnetic field. Therefore, plasmas are formed between the beads 5 in a web shape. The activated radicals such as O, H, O3, H2 O2, UV, and e−aq are generated in the housing 2 by the generated plasmas. The thusly generated activated radicals are reacted with the pollutants contained in the polluted water.”
In addition, Shim discloses, “Namely, when pulses are supplied to the electrodes 6 in the housing 2, a web-like plasma having more than about 10 eV is generated. At this time, since the energy of 1 eV corresponds to the temperature of about 10,000° C., in theory, the plasma generated in the housing 2 has a temperature of more than about 100,000° C.”
Finally, Shim claims, a plasma reactor, comprising: a housing having a polluted water inlet, a polluted water outlet and an air inlet hole; a plurality of beads disposed in the interior of the housing, said beads being selected from the group consisting of a ferro dielectric material, a photocatalytic acryl material, a photocatalytic polyethylene material, a photocatalytic nylon material, and a photocatalytic glass material; a pair of electrodes, one of said electrodes contacting the bottom of the housing, another of said electrodes contacting an upper portion of the uppermost beads; and a pulse generator connected with the electrodes.”
Shim's '266 plasma reactor has several major drawbacks. For it must use a high voltage pulsed generator, a plurality of various beads and it must be operated such that the reactor is full from top to bottom. Likewise, Shim's plasma reactor is not designed for separating a gas from the bulk liquid, nor can it recover heat. Shim makes absolutely no claim to a method for generating hydrogen. In fact, the addition of air to his plasma reactor completely defeats the sole purpose of current research for generating hydrogen via electrolysis or plasma or a combination of both. In the instant any hydrogen is generated within the '266 plasma reactor, the addition of air will cause the hydrogen to react with oxygen and form water. Also, Shim makes absolutely no mention for any means for generating heat by cooling the cathode. Likewise, he does not disclose nor mention the ability to coke organics unto the beads, nor the ability to reboil and concentrate spent acids such as tailing pond water from phosphoric acid plants nor concentrate black liquor from fiber production and/or pulp and paper mills. In particular, he does not disclose nor teach any method for concentrating black liquor nor recovering caustic and sulfides from black liquor with his '266 plasma reactor.
The following is a list of prior art similar to Shim's '266 patent.
Patent No.Title  481,979Apparatus for electrically purifying water  501,732Method of an apparatus for purifying water3,798,784Process and apparatus for the treatment of moist materials4,265,747Disinfection and purification of fluids using focused laserradiation4,624,765Separation of dispersed liquid phase from continuous fluidphase5,019,268Method and apparatus for purifying waste water5,048,404High pulsed voltage systems for extending the shelf life ofpumpable food products5,326,530High pulsed voltage systems for extending the shelf life ofpumpable food products5,348,629Method and apparatus for electrolytic processing of materials5,368,724Apparatus for treating a confined liquid by means of a pulseelectrical discharge5,655,210Corona source for producing corona discharge and fluid wastetreatment with corona discharge5,746,984Exhaust system with emissions storage device and plasmareactor5,879,555Electrochemical treatment of materials5,893,979Method for dewatering previously-dewatered municipalwaste-water sludges using high electrical voltage6,007,681Apparatus and method for treating exhaust gas and pulsegenerator used therefor
Shim's '266 patent does not disclose, teach nor claim any method, system or apparatus for a solid oxide electrolysis cell coupled to a plasma arc torch. In fact, Shim's '266 patent does not distinguish between glow discharge and plasma produced from an electrical arc. Finally, Shim's '266 patent teaches the use of nylon and other plastic type beads. In fact, he claims the plasma reactor must contain three types of plastics: a photocatalytic acryl material, a photocatalytic polyethylene material, a photocatalytic nylon material. In contradiction, he teaches, “At this time, since the energy of 1 eV corresponds to the temperature of about 10,000° C., in theory, the plasma generated in the housing 2 has a temperature of more than about 100,000° C.”
Quite simply, the downfall of Shim's patent is that the plasma will destroy the organic beads, converting them to carbon and or carbon dioxide and thus preventing the invention from working as disclosed. In fact, the inventor of the present invention will clearly show and demonstrate why polymers will not survive within a glow discharge type plasma reactor.
Plasma arc torches are commonly used by fabricators, machine shops, welders and semi-conductor plants for cutting, gouging, welding, plasma spraying coatings and manufacturing wafers. The plasma torch is operated in one of two modes—transferred arc or non-transferred arc. The most common torch found in many welding shops in the transferred arc plasma torch. It is operated very similar to a DC welder in that a grounding clamp is attached to a workpiece. The operator, usually a welder, depresses a trigger on the plasma torch handle which forms a pilot arc between a centrally located cathode and an anode nozzle. When the operator brings the plasma torch pilot arc close to the workpiece the arc is transferred from the anode nozzle via the electrically conductive plasma to the workpiece. Hence the name transferred arc.
The non-transferred arc plasma torch retains the arc within the torch. Quite simply the arc remains attached to the anode nozzle. This requires cooling the anode. Common non-transferred arc plasma torches have a heat rejection rate of 30%. Thus, 30% of the total torch power is rejected as heat.
A major drawback in using plasma torches is the cost of inert gases such as argon and hydrogen. There have been several attempts for forming the working or plasma gas within the torch itself by using rejected heart from the electrodes to generate steam from water. The objective is to increase the total efficiency of the torch as well as reduce plasma gas cost. However, there is not a single working example that can run continuous duty. The Multiplaz torch is a small hand held torch that must be manually refilled with water. The technology behind the Multiplaz 2500 is patented worldwide.
Russian patents: N 2040124, N 2071190, N 2103129, N 2072640, N 2111098, N 2112635. European patents N 0919317 A1. American patents: U.S. Pat. No. 6,087,616, U.S. Pat. No. 6,156,994. Australian patents N 736916.
Also, the device is covered by international patent applications N RU 96-00188 and N RU 98-00040 in Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Great Britain, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Monaco, Nederland, Portugal, Sweden, Korea, USA, Australia, Brasilia, Canada, Israel.
Patent No.Title3,567,898Plasma cutting torch3,830,428Plasma torches4,311,897Plasma arc torch and nozzle assembly4,531,043Method of and apparatus for stabilization of low-temperatureplasma of an arc burner5,609,777Electric-arc plasma steam torch5,660,743Plasma arc torch having water injection nozzle assembly
The inventor of the present invention purchased a first generation multiplaz torch. It worked until the internal glass insulator cracked and then short circuited the cathode to the anode. Next, he purchased two multiplaz 2500's. One torch never stayed lit for longer than 15 seconds. The other torch would not transfer its arc to the workpiece. The power supplies and torches were swapped to ensure that neither were at fault. However, both systems functioned as previously described. Neither torch worked as disclosed in the aforementioned patents.
Furthermore, the Multiplaz is not a continuous use plasma torch.
Hypertherm's U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,268, titled “Arc Plasma Torch and method using contact starting” and issued on Dec. 13, 1988 teaches and discloses “an arc plasma torch includes a moveable cathode and a fixed anode which are automatically separated by the buildup of gas pressure within the torch after a current flow is established between the cathode and the anode. The gas pressure draws a nontransferred pilot arc to produce a plasma jet. The torch is thus contact started, not through contact with an external workpiece, but through internal contact of the cathode and anode. Once the pilot arc is drawn, the torch may be used in the nontransferred mode, or the arc may be easily transferred to a workpiece. In a preferred embodiment, the cathode has a piston part which slidingly moves within a cylinder when sufficient gas pressure is supplied. In another embodiment, the torch is a hand-held unit and permits control of current and gas flow with a single control.”
There is absolutely no disclosure of coupling this torch to a solid oxide glow discharge cell.
Weldtronic Limited's, “Plasma cutting and welding torches with improved nozzle electrode cooling” U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,245 issued on Jul. 31, 1984 discloses “A plasma torch (40) comprises a handle (41) having an upper end (41B) which houses the components forming a torch body (43). Body (33) incorporates a rod electrode (10) having an end which cooperates with an annular tip electrode (13) to form a spark gap. An ionizable fuel gas is fed to the spark gap via tube (44) within the handle (41), the gas from tube (44) flowing axially along rod electrode (10) and being diverted radially through apertures (16) so as to impinge upon and act as a coolant for a thin-walled portion (14) of the annular tip electrode (13). With this arrangement the heat generated by the electrical arc in the inter-electrode gap is substantially confined to the annular tip portion (13A) of electrode (13) which is both consumable and replaceable in that portion (13A) is secured by screw threads to the adjoining portion (13B) of electrode (13) and which is integral with the thin-walled portion (14).”
Once again there is absolutely no disclosure of coupling this torch to a solid oxide glow discharge cell.
The following is a list of prior art teachings with respect to starting a torch and modes of operation.
Patent No.Title2,784,294Welding torch2,898,441Arc torch push starting2,923,809Arc cutting of metals3,004,189Combination automatic-starting electrical plasma torch andgas shutoff valve3,082,314Plasma arc torch3,131,288Electric arc torch3,242,305Plasma retract arc torch3,534,388Arc torch cutting process3,619,549Arc torch cutting process3,641,308Plasma arc torch having liquid laminar flow jet for arcconstriction3,787,247Water-scrubber cutting table3,833,787Plasma jet cutting torch having reduced noise generatingcharacteristics4,203,022Method and apparatus for positioning a plasma arccutting torch4,463,245Plasma cutting and welding torches with improved nozzleelectrode cooling4,567,346Arc-striking method for a welding or cutting torch anda torch adapted to carry out said method
High temperature steam electrolysis and glow discharge are two technologies that are currently being viewed as the future for the hydrogen economy. Likewise, coal gasification is being viewed as the technology of choice for reducing carbon, sulfur dioxide and mercury emissions from coal burning power plants. Renewables such as wind turbines, hydroelectric and biomass are being exploited in order to reduce global warming.
Water is one of our most valuable resources. Copious amounts of water are used in industrial processes with the end result of producing wastewater. Water treatment and wastewater treatment go hand in hand with the production of energy.
Therefore, a need exists for an all electric system that can regenerate, concentrate or convert waste materials such as black liquor, spent caustic, phosphogypsum tailings water, wastewater biosolids and refinery tank bottoms to valuable feedstocks or products such as regenerated caustic soda, regeneratred sulfuric acid, concentrated phosphoric acid, syngas or hydrogen and steam. Although world-class size refineries, petrochem facilities, chemical plants, upstream heavy oil, oilsands, gas facilities and pulp and paper mills would greatly benefit from such a system, their exists a dire need for a distributed all electric mini-refinery that can treat water while also cogenerate heat and fuel.